Paul Wildes walks from Port Vale

THE fall-out from Port Vale’s alarming defeat at Bristol Rovers on March 12 was the catalyst for changes in the club hierarchy which led to chairman Paul Wildes standing down last night.

As Norman Smurthwaite took full control of the Valiants, he revealed that an intense discussion between Wildes and manager Micky Adams in the wake of the 2-0 defeat helped to convince him he had to step in.

Vale announced today that Wildes had stood down and that Smurthwaite, previously chief executive, would become chairman and sole owner of the club.

And reflecting on that night at the Memorial Ground when Vale suffered a fourth defeat in five games to potentially jeopardise their promotion hopes, Smurthwaite said: “That was a pivotal moment. I wasn’t happy with how things were going.

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“Fans were taunting both the manager and the players, which considering we were second in the table I thought was unjustified.

“Due to our inexperience in football, I felt we had lost direction as to how to help on the pitch. It didn’t feel harmonious and I wanted to change things.”

Until then, the 52-year-old millionaire had largely accepted a back seat role, despite funding the £1.25m deal to buy Vale out of administration in November.

Smurthwaite said it was his decision to play a more active role in the running of the club which eventually led to yesterday’s parting of the ways.

He explained: “We had a problem and I wanted to put it right so I got more involved.

“I was concerned by the relationship between fans, manager and players and took the view if I could divert their frustrations at me that would ease the pressure on the squad.

“I think Paul felt that was when I stepped over the mark from being an investor to an interferer.”

Smurthwaite claimed his business partner asked him to step away from the club.

He added: “Paul said there were two people at the helm and it wasn’t good for the club. He felt there should only be one, which I didn’t disagree with.

“Basically, he asked me to stand down from the company day-to-day, enjoy the football, attend board meetings once a month and continue to support the club financially.

“That didn’t sit well with me and I didn’t think it was the best solution for the club.

“I offered him three options. I said he could buy into the club at 50 per cent of what I had invested and we would continue as joint chairmen, he could buy me out or he could leave. I needed a commitment from him, but it didn’t materialise and so he chose to go.

“I felt Paul needed to be seen as a true investor in the club and make the kind of commitment I had made. Because of the way he was profiling himself, most people assumed he had invested in the club.”

Smurthwaite said he had now severed all business ties with Wildes, but insisted there was no animosity between the pair.

“Nothing Paul has done has been detrimental to the club, it has all been positive,” he said.

“There’s been no fall-out and no one is more disappointed than me that he has decided to leave, but we have to move on.

“The easiest thing for me would have been to walk away, and if that was in the best interests of the club then I would have.

“But what would have happened next time the club needed money? They couldn’t expect me to keep funding it and be sitting in the Railway Paddock.”

Directors Mike Aspinall and Robin Anderson have also left the club, but Smurthwaite said he had no immediate plans to appoint a chief executive.

“It’s business as usual. The paymaster general is still here, even though there is a different name above the door,” he said.

“My wife, Lorraine, will initially become a director and there might be people brought into the club in the future, but I have a structure in place.

“There is no change financially and neither my enthusiasm nor confidence has been dented. I love the club and I want to make sure it progresses in a way I think fans want and deserve.”

Wildes paved the way for his exit by selling his 50 per cent share in Alchemy Investment Group, the company who own the club.

“My main regret is that I’m leaving the job half-finished,” he said, “but this is not a decision I have taken lightly.

“It has become clear that Norman and I have conflicting ideas on how to take the club forward.

“Port Vale is now in a far healthier position than when we took over and I hope the club continues to prosper under Norman’s guidance.”

7 comments

Reading all the available information and listening to the interview with NS, it seems clear that PW was using his previous Caudwell School Of Business tactics to inflate his importance and making promises that would be unachievable.
Rebuilding Our Club is not a one season wonder it's a task that needs realistic goals and a long term plan for an achievable route to stability and improved performance on and off the field.
I welcome The Smurf as the sole guvnor and look forward to a bright future at Vale Park.

lets hope that the club continues to move forward,the club needs stability after admin and now this,lets hope that norman continues to have the best interests of the club at heart and that we have a competitive squad for next season.